Indonesia Islands Sumatra and Kalimantan

Indonesia islands like Sumatra and Kalimantan are as attractive and interesting as the all famous paradise island of Bali with all its luxury accommodations, many sandy beaches, and astonishing culture. Sumatra and Kalimantan offer completely different opportunities, for example, many diverse cultures, and traditions, ancient temples, diving paradises with plenty of corals and exotic aquatic life and lush wild tropical forests.

Do not Expect Luxury Hotels Everywhere

Many big hotel chains internationals and locals and of course individual and unique hospitality organizations are putting lots of money into developing different kinds of accommodation in provincial capitals and other big cities. Some are betting on business travelers and some on tourists who all are requesting professional services.

Many islands offer off the beaten track gems, international guests want to see. Places that are beautiful and interesting and yet do not have adequate infrastructure, some of them getting developed only now. There you will stay in basic accommodations like one-star hotels, home stays or local homes and even tents. If you like to experience the genuine still authentic Indonesian tribes, then now is the time to visit some of these places.

Watch this cultural dance from North Sumatra

Sumatra is the Western Most island of Indonesia

It is a huge land mass with plenty of oil exploration, plantations of all kinds and also protected tropical forests. Wild elephants, Tigers, Orang Utans, and Rhinos still roam a small part of this paradise. We visited the region during Idul Fitri 2016 (end of the fasting season), a family car trip visiting places they lived in, greater family and friends. Then we veered off the main road and had a look at an amazingly clean, organized but somewhat empty town of Siak Sri Indrapura.

If you Love Luxury, Stay in Your Bali Hotel

The big cities in Kalimantan and also Sumatra, of course, offer the regular business and chain hotels. The big cities are situated mostly along the coasts and big rivers and many of them are centers in the oil industry and also oil and other plantations. Tourism luxuries and excursions are not well developed here yet.

There are plenty of Bali beach hotels in Sanur, Legian, Seminyak, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, Benoa and also on smaller beaches to the north. On this page though, let’s start where it all started; with the Ba…